1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to systems for dispensing systems that push the product forward and that also incorporate theft deterrent features.
2. General Background
When items are displayed at retail, as product is removed from the front of the display rack or box for purchase, the remaining product remains at the back. This can make it difficult for a customer to see that there is still product remaining to be purchased if the rack or box is above eye-level (e.g., if a box is placed high on a shelf and the consumer cannot see to the back of the display box). It can also make it difficult for the consumer to reach into the back of the box to remove the remaining product. This can results in lower sales numbers than would otherwise be achieved.
In some instances, manufacturers or retailers will include fillers at the back of product boxes to help the boxes appear full or to help the product stand upright rather than falling back into the box. These temporary solutions are not optimal, in part because fillers take time and cost to manufacture and load.
There are some automatic dispensing systems on the market that feature intricate levers and electronic systems. These systems, however, are expensive to manufacture and can be time consuming to stock. They may also be more prone to malfunction than a simple dispensing system. It is thus necessary to provide a dispensing system that pushes product forward for purchase, but that is also simple and economical to manufacture and stock.
Moreover, theft of small items in retail stores is an all too common problem. Items that are in high demand by thieves include over-the-counter (OTC) products such as analgesics and cough and cold medications, razor blades, camera film, batteries, videos, DVDs, smoking cessation products, and infant formula. Shelf sweeping is a particular problem for small items. It occurs when someone removes all the shelf stock (and in some instances, removes the hook on which the merchandise is hanging), and exits the store, similar to a “smash and grab” shoplifting technique. Shelf sweeping relies on excessive quantities of product being available on the shelf. However, retailers need to keep substantial inventory on shelf or incur the cost of constantly restocking.
Retailers are constantly challenged to balance the needs of legitimate consumers' access to high theft items with measures to minimize the incidence of theft. It has long been known to place items such as cigarettes, sodas, and newspapers in vending machines. Such machines require complete self-service by the customer. The customer places money into the vending machine and the machine dispenses the desired item. However, vending machines may be inconsistent with the way that people currently purchase items; many people prefer to use credit or debit cards instead of cash. People may also wish to simply put products into a cart and pay all at once, rather than interface with multiple vending machines for various purchase. Vending machines may also be inconvenient and occupy a great deal of space, particularly if a separate vending machine is needed for various types of products or for each manufacturer that sells product in a particular location.
Because theft has become so rampant in certain product categories, such as razors, infant formula, and cold medicine, many retail stores are taking the products off the shelves and placing them behind the counter or under lock-and-key. Customers must request the products in order to make a purchase. This requires additional labor costs to provide individual service to customers who would normally not require it. It also makes it difficult for customers to compare products. Furthermore, it may be impossible where the space behind the counter is limited and is needed for prescription medications. In some cases, some products are simply unavailable due to high pilferage rates.
Therefore, a device or dispensing apparatus that minimizes the incidence of product theft, particularly sweeping, is needed. The device or dispensing apparatus should also be able to fit within common grocery, drug store or other retail environment shelves. It is also desirable that the device or dispensing apparatus effectively display and push product forward so that consumers can easily identify the products. It is also preferable that the dispensing apparatus be easy to use.
Thus, there is a need to provide systems that discourage or prevent theft of product, as well as systems that display product in a way that makes an item easy to retrieve from the shelf, without the consumer having to reach back into a tray to retrieve items from the back if all items from the front have been removed.